“I've been inspired by the ocean for a lifetime. When I return to Caracas and I walk on the beach, I am always amazed by the impact of the light. Its intensity varies each time and I love the bright reflections that emerge from the water,” said the Venezuelan designer Oscar Carvallo, who hit the Parisian catwalk for the first time, as an off-show during Spring/Summer 2013 Haute Couture in Paris.

And Carvallo was certainly not kidding when he said that, as he pulled his story line through, from the beginning till the very end. Serene wave sounds came out of the speakers, while models walked through the opulent rooms of the Shangri-La Hotel.

The evolution of the show was like the Little Mermaid.  Half-human, half-fish, silhouettes crafted in scaled leather optic reflected iridescent bonbon pink and baby blue metallic lights at the very beginning of the show, while further algae-looking embroidery on silk, chiffon, and tulle evening gowns -in white and light silver shades- suggested that the ‘little mermaid’ finally grew up. The intermezzo of sand-colored and golden gowns added a warrior-like tone to Carvallo's collection by pairing ruched chiffon dresses with armor-like fish-scaled leather tops. Shell jewelry was omnipresent, sometimes used as a decorative piece on a bare back and or as earrings.

“I work in Venezuela and in Paris, but also in Miami...my clientele is therefore never the same. As you know, style wise, French women are rather simple, the Venezuelan woman, on the contrary, is more voluptuous, therefore I tried to propose many different shapes for the same subject,” explained the designer referring to the many dress variations that he presented. A long sand colored shift fully adorned with golden embroidery, worn with likely embroidered slim pants and a cropped golden fish-scale jacket, as well as a flossy pale pink Grecian gown and another embroidered, immaculate white dress with an asymmetrical puffed-up hem were some of the desirable pieces spotted on the catwalk.

The collection could have done with ten silhouettes less, as the beauty of Oscar Carvallo's Couture lies in his impeccable cuts and detailing – there was no need to emphasize this by accumulating a selection of similar looks on the runway.

- Elisabeta Tudor